Chapter 1. Overview of SWT and JFace
This chapter covers
- The purpose of SWT and JFace
- The reasons for their creation
- How the two libraries differ from Swing
- Licensing and platform support
In March 2004, the Java Developer’s Journal announced the results of its Readers’ Choice Award for Best Java Component. More than 15,000 developers voted for one of many Java toolsets, including offerings from such established names as Oracle and Apple. But in the end, Eclipse’s Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT) won handily, just as it did in 2003. Despite their late entry into the field of Java development, Eclipse and SWT have also won awards and recognition from JavaWorld, JavaPro, and LinuxWorld.
This well-earned applause goes a long way in showing the impact these tools have made on Java development. Java programmers around the world have embraced the power and versatility of SWT and JFace, deploying new plug-ins and standalone applications with each passing day. The goal of this book is to show you how this toolset functions and how you can use these tools for your own applications.
In particular, you’ll be able to
- Develop SWT/JFace-based applications with hands-on code examples
- Create customized graphics with SWT’s built-in graphical context
- Understand the structure and methodology behind the SWT/JFace API
- Further your knowledge of GUI (graphical user interface) design
- Build and deploy SWT/JFace applications for Eclipse and standalone usage